Upendra Bharti | HENB | Varanasi | Oct 21, 2022:: Two questions relating to beef in a catering and hotel management paper has triggered protests at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), with some students demanding the punishment of the culprits who have designed a ‘beef culture’ in BHU where the founder of the century old educational institute, Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya  also established a Gaushala for the research on and protection of Gau Sampad (Bos Indicus resources). The enraged students and many in the social media platforms urged Narendra Modi government to suspend vice-chancellor Sudhir Kumar Jain forthwith.

The questions were asked in the second semester examination 2021-22 paper (CTH-204) of the Bachelor of Vocation (Food Processing and Management) course, held on Wednesday.

The protesters, who claim they don’t belong to any student body, on Thursday threatened an agitation if the Centre delayed “punishing those responsible for trying to promote beef-eating with the help of such questions”.

The protesters have blamed the “anti-religion questions” on Jain, who had in April angered the ABVP by attending an iftar gathering on the campus, organised by teachers and students from both the Hindu and Muslim communities.

Sunder Tiwari, a senior BVoc student, said: “There were two objectionable questions in the second paper, dealing with catering technology and hotel management.”

He said the third question in the paper read: “Write a classification of beef. Define.”

He added: “Another question read: What is used in making stock? (a) Water (b) Bouillon (c) Beef broth (d) Chicken broth.”

Interestingly, there were no questions such: Write a classification of beef. Define or What is used in making stock? (a) Water (b) Bouillon (c) Beef broth (d) Pork broth.”

Taking their twitter handle, BHU stated (in Hindi):  “The purpose of this course is to get information about the food items of many countries of the world in India or outside India and to be aware about them so that in future, when the student goes in search of a job, they can be prepared according to the requirements of the job or profession.” (translation by HENB).

The university informed that the course of catering technology and hotel management is taught under the vocational course in BHU. This course started this year in BHU, in one paper of which, students also have to read about food production.

“The question asked in the semester examination was asked from the syllabus of this course and this course has been designed according to the syllabus of the reputed institutes of hotel management in the country. It is unfortunate to create unnecessary controversy regarding the question asked in the semester examination. Banaras Hindu University appeals that studies, examinations and harmonious environment in the university should not be affected,” BHU said in an official statement available through BHU Twitter handle.

Many concerned students and professors in BHU say that the official statement showed a casual manner to save the face and was not active to find out the cause to highlight beef and black out pork in the question paper, as alleged.

BHU authority perhaps forget that pork is popular in global cuisine (except Arab world) and the process of preparation and knowledge on pork is also important to know by the students of catering, food production and hotel management.

Some experts opined that such pro-beef stand of BHU indicated a return of the left liberals in the campus with the help of present VC Sudhir Kumar Jain.

An expert on earthquake science Mr Jain created another quake in the campus without maintaining his integrity and impartiality.

It is not known that whether the catering Technology and Hotel Management Department will continue its Beef experiments on its preparation in a Halal method in the very Banaras Hindu University campus!

However, Cow slaughter and beef-eating in public are illegal in Uttar Pradesh under existing rules and regulations.

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__Inputs from Agencies.